Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Mallory?” Billy asked.
“Needless to say, she was a bit surprised to see a woman just walk into the house. I was even more surprised to see her. I naturally assumed she was a girlfriend, and I started running my mouth about how I was bringing the sandwiches for poker night, and how I was going to box Liam’s ears for not telling us he was seeing someone.”
I rushed past MaryAnne and found Mallory in the kitchen, taking blueberry muffins out of the oven. She had really taken to baking and cooking, and if she kept it up, I’d be gaining weight.
“Mallory!” I rushed over and pulled her into my arms. “I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”
She hugged me with a light laugh. “I’m fine. It all happened so fast and, well…I instantly liked MaryAnne.”
Holding her at arm’s length, I asked, “Does she know?”
She nodded. “I had to tell her. She thought we were a couple, and she started making plans for us to go out for drinks tonight while you played poker.”
“Liam Sanders,” MaryAnne scolded.
When I glanced over my shoulder, MaryAnne was frowning, hands on her hips, while Billy stood behind her, unsure of what to do or say.
“You’ve been keeping this poor girl locked up, no contact with anyone. She explained why she doesn’t want to go to the police, but to keep her a secret from me?”
My stomach dropped, and I felt sick. “I’m not keeping her locked up!”
Mallory put a hand on my arm and softly squeezed. “She didn’t mean it that way.”
A look of horror crossed MaryAnne’s face when she realized what she said. “No, I… Oh my gosh, Liam. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…Mallory has to be so bored, with you being gone all day and her unable to leave the house. At least I could have come and kept her company.”
“Liam was only doing what I asked him to do, MaryAnne. I didn’t want anyone to know I was here.”
MaryAnne walked around me and took Mallory’s hands. “I can understand that. But now that I know anyway, and I know what happened, you can trust me and Billy. We won’t tell anyone you’re here, I promise. But maybe I can come visit, or you can come visit me. Do you know how to crochet?”
Mallory chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Well, I’m just learning, so we can learn together. I’m making a blanket.”
When I saw the light in Mallory’s eyes brighten, my chest squeezed with an unfamiliar feeling. Was I just so happy to see her happy? I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
“I would love that.”
Billy held up his hands. “Wait. Wait.”
Everyone turned to look at him.
“Is anyone going to tell me what’s happening? Liam started to tell me on the way here, but he didn’t get very far.”
I looked at Mallory, and she nodded.
“Let’s go to my office, and I’ll fill you in on everything.”
Once in the office with the door closed, I motioned for Billy to sit down. I stood and leaned against the desk as I told him everything, including the visits from Randy and Bubba. By the time I was finished, my best friend looked like he was about to throw up.
He ran his hands down his face before he leaned over, rested his arms on his knees. “Jesus. I need to tell MaryAnne to be careful in town.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I’m going to find the guy who did this.”
He looked up at me. “Do you think…Emily?”
A pain hit my chest, and I almost rubbed at it. “I think she’s gone, Billy. I’ve always thought she was gone.”
“Gone? As in…dead?”
“I think I’ve known this whole time that she wasn’t ever coming back.”
“And Mallory just happened to have her necklace? How do you know this isn’t some sort of setup, Liam? Do you trust this woman?”
“You didn’t see the fear in her eyes. She’d been beaten up and her feet were raw from running through the woods for two days. And she slept for two days straight after I found her.”
He stood and started to pace the small office. “That means you were right. Whoever this is, he lives around here.”
I nodded.
“It could be someone we know.”
“The day I missed the staff meeting and Bubba was late? We’d gone to the old barn after remembering there was a root cellar underneath it.”
Billy stopped pacing and faced me. “You thought she might have been held on the ranch?”
“It crossed our minds, and we had to check it out. Turns out she wasn’t, thank God, but the place was about to crumble to the ground. That’s why I asked you to have it demolished.”
“You don’t suspect any of our guys, do you?”
I quickly shook my head. “No. I trust all of you with my life. Mallory, though…she suspects everyone until she hears them laugh.”